Milk and Kisses
by Rockeh
Summary: Shikamaru cant sleep, and Ino's determined to find out why. ShikaIno T for caution. Probably OOC


**Just a little oneshot that burst painfully from my brain in the middle of the night. Enjoy!**

**If i owned them, i would probably still write fanfiction of them, but i would be a lot richer.**

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Shikamaru sighed.

He knew the world was against him in this matter, and no amount of arguing would fix it.

The moonlight just had to shine on her. It could have gazed upon anyone else in the packed room, but no, it had to illuminate her already glowing hair, cast perfect shadows on her milk white skin, outline her chest as it rose and fell with the soft breathing of sleep.

He couldn't help but stare.

He sighed again, and rolled to face the roof.

"Shikamaru," she spoke softly, but still made him jump. He thought she had been asleep.

"Ino?" he whispered back

"Are you awake?"

Inwardly, he rolled his eyes. "Yes."

"Can't you get to sleep?"

"No. Can't you?"

"No. Is there any reason why you can't sleep?"

"No. You?"

"No."

There was a silence, punctuated by the breathing of the other sleepover attendees.

"There is a reason you can't sleep, isn't there?" She had always been able to know things like that.

"Yes." No point lying.

"Same. But you're not going to tell me, right?"

"Not unless you want to go first."

"I thought so."

More silence.

"I'm getting a glass of milk. Want one?"

"Sure." They both climbed out of their sleeping bags, and navigated their way through the other sleepers.

The halls of Ino's house were cold compared to the lounge, which was sweltering due to the heat of 12 bodies.

Once in the kitchen, Ino found some milk and Shikamaru grabbed a pair of glasses, knowing Ino's kitchen almost better then she did.

They drank in silence, Shikamaru determinedly not looking at Ino in her pajamas, seeing as they were silk, and a bit too small.

Setting her glass on the bench with a definite clink, Ino looked at Shikamaru.

"Are you going to tell me why you can't sleep or what? I can tell you want to."

She could read his body language like a book, which almost made him regret that they had been best friends since they were born. Almost.

He turned and looked out the window. There was no point trying to avoid telling her, she would work out he was lying, then get him back.

"Well, um, you see, uh, I kinda have, a, like, crush on… someone." He stuttered slightly.

You could almost feel Ino's interest grow.

"Oh. My. Gosh. You, the lazy genius, have a crush? On who? Sakura? Hinata? Tenten? Temari? Oh, I bet it's Temari, there's always been sparks there! Come one, who? Who?"

She buzzed around him excitedly.

"Its… Its… ah," He avoided her eyes. If he had looked into them, he would have seen a greed for the knowledge, but more then that, hope for something else. But he didn't.

He was going to tell her he liked her, he really was. "Sakura. It's Sakura." But he backed out at the last minute.

He said Sakura's name with a glance into Ino's eyes, to make it seem less like he was lying. In that glance, he saw the hope she had had, and the disappointment as that hope failed.

After a moments hesitation, Ino began to pace around the kitchen, rambling.

"Honestly? Seriously? Why didn't you tell me sooner? I have to set you two up now. I think she likes Naruto at the moment, or maybe Sasuke, but I'm sure I can convince her to like you."

She continued on like that for a while, as Shikamaru grew redder and redder. Finally, when Ino's route of pacing brought her near him, he grabbed her arm to stop her.

"It's not Sakura."

Ino turned to look at him. "Then who?"

This time, he looked her in the eyes. He could see traces of the hope she had had before, but he could also tell she was more ready for disappointment now.

"Its…" He looked down, and she eyed him curiously.

Suddenly, he pulled gently on her arm, bringing her closer to him. In the same moment, he leant down, and brought their lips together softly.

Ino stiffened at the sudden move, and Shikamaru was sure she was going to pull away. But no, she relaxed, and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer. He smiled inwardly, and deepened the kiss, placing his hands timidly on her waist.

They stayed like this for a few moments, then pulled apart slightly, staying in each others arms.

Ino rested her head against Shikamaru's chest. "How long?"

He knew what she was asking.

"Ever since the age when guys were becoming interested in girls."

"How did you keep it from me for so long?"

"Genius, remember? It wasn't so hard."

She smiled.

"What about you," he asked, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

"For as long as I can remember, though I mistook it for friendship for so long. I probably began realizing shortly after we were placed in the same team. I sort of ignored it until about a year ago, though."

"How did you keep it from me for so long?" he mimicked.

"Girl, remember?"

Shikamaru kissed her again, and when his lips parted and his tongue requested that her lips do the same, she was only too happy to comply.

They broke apart a few minutes later, still holding each other close.

"So," Ino began. "Are we officially dating now?"

"Do you want to be?" He nuzzled her neck gently.

"What do you think?"

He bit her gently, causing her to jump. She certainly had not been expecting that from Shikamaru.

"Officially dating it is, then," he murmured.

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The next morning, as the other attendees of the sleepover awoke, they stared in groggy confusion at Ino and Shikamaru. It seemed, that, at some point in the night, Shikamaru had pulled his sleeping bag next to Ino's, for now the pair lay together, their arms entwined, smiling in their sleep at some shared not-so-secret-anymore secret.

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